The church of Christ in Media is one of thousands of churches
of Christ across the nation and around the world. The church
of Christ endeavors to serve God with the same simplicity that
characterized His faithful church in the first century. As the
body of Christ, we recognize Christ as our Head by believing
in his word as the only authority in religion, by actively teaching
the world about Christ and his kingdom, by encouraging and supporting
other Christians, and by trying to provide for the spiritual
needs of our fellow man.
Are there any unique teachings of the churches of Christ?
First, we must emphasize that the church of Christ does not
create its own doctrine. Why? Because all of our beliefs can
be found within the pages of the Bible. Many religious institutions
create their own teachings, thereby making their church's authority
greater than the authority of God's word. The churches of Christ,
however, seek to follow the teachings already set forth in the
Bible.
The
seed principle
Our emphasis on Bible authority is seen in "the seed
principle." In Luke 8:4-8 Jesus used a parable often referred
to as the "parable of the sower." In explaining that
parable, Jesus said, "Now the parable is this: The seed
is the word of God." In the parable, when the seed, the
word of God, was sown in the noble and good hearts of certain
hearers (vs. 15), it "yielded a crop a hundredfold"
(vs. 8). This simply means that honest hearts who heard the gospel
were willing to obey it. If seed reproduces after its kind -
and it does - then God's word today should produce just what
it did almost 2000 years ago. We believe that if that same gospel
seed is sown today, it will produce Christians-nothing more and
nothing less-just as it did in the first century.
The Priesthood of all believers
In the body of Christ there is no clergy/laity distinction.
Every Christian is a priest (1 Peter 2:5, 9). Every Christian
is to involve himself or herself in offering "spiritual
sacrifices" to the Lord (Romans 12:1-2). In Christ "There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there
is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
(Galatians 3:28) Though there are different functions within
the body of Christ (e.g. 1 Corinthians 12), all of its members
are to be united in purpose and duty. Thus, in Christ, all Christians
are equal.
Vocal Music
We worship every Sunday: we study God's word, pray, participate
in the Lord's supper, give a free-will offering, and sing without
the addition of musical instruments. Our singing-without-instruments
has, perhaps, been the focal point for more questions than other
aspects of our worship. Christians should believe and practice
only what God has designated. Colossians 3:17 makes it clear
that our actions must conform to the will of Christ. Scripture
yields evidence that the early church was commanded to sing,
with the only accompaniment being that of individuals' hearts
(Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). History records that early
believers followed God's word and did not use instruments in
worshipping God.
Communion (the Lord's Supper) Every Sunday
Following the example of early Christians in the first century,
Christians today meet to worship God on the first day of every
week. As part of our weekly worship, we partake of the Lord's
Supper, or "communion." We do this every week because
the New Testament clearly indicates that the early Christians
did so to obey the Lord's will (See Matthew 26:26-30; Hebrews
10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Acts 20:7)
When did the church of Christ begin?
The church of Christ began in the first century, on the first
Pentecost following the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. You can read about its beginning in the second chapter
of the book of Acts.
Where did the church of Christ begin?
The church began in the city of Jerusalem. The place (and
time) of origin was predicted by Old Testament prophets centuries
before it began. (See, for example, Isaiah 2:1-4; Acts 2:1-47.)
Who started the church of Christ?
According to Matthew 16:18, the church was to be founded by
Christ. In this verse Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will
build my church." The Bible recognizes Christ, and Christ
alone, as the head of the church. (See 1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians
5:23.)
The Church of Christ is undenominational
A "denomination" is a fraction of a whole. Some
people feel that each respective denomination is a part of the
whole church. The Bible teaches, and faithful members of the
churches of Christ believe, that there is only one church belonging
to Christ, and that this church should be united in beliefs and
practices rather than divided. (See Colossians 1:18; Ephesians
4:4; 1 Corinthians 1:10.) The Bible teaches unity in Jesus Christ,
but the only way to achieve true unity is to follow Him and to
be a part of the church He established. Denominations founded
by human beings can never provide fellowship with the Christ.
No head but Christ - no creed but the Bible
Christ's church does not need any creed or catechism because
the Bible alone provides everything we need to know to serve
God. There is no human authority to which the church of Christ
turns for doctrine or direction. Christ, as the founder of the
church, is its only head. (See Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians
1:18.) He guides and directs the church through His word, the
Bible. (See Hebrews 1:1ff)
Emphasis on Bible study
Because the Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17),
we believe that it is authoritative (Psalms 33:4; John 17:17)
and capable of producing faith in the hearts and minds of its
readers (John 20:30-31; Romans 10:17). We maintain that the Bible
can be understood by those who want and try to understand it
(See Matthew 13:23; 15:10; Mark 7:14).We believe that its meaning
can be agreed upon by those who honestly and sincerely desire
the truth. Our emphasis on studying the Bible comes from simply
realizing that God's word, the Bible, was given to save us from
sin (Acts 11:14; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:22-25). If understanding
God's word and then obeying it can save a soul from sin, why
wouldn't everyone want to study it?
How does one become a member of the Media church of Christ?
One becomes a member of the church of Christ when he or she
voluntarily obeys God's word and becomes a Christian. This happens
when a person develops faith in Christ as the Son of God, repents
of sin and decides to live in complete submission to God, confesses
Christ, and is baptized into Christ for the remission of sins
(see John 3:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 22:16). When
the gospel of Christ is obeyed in this way, one is added by the
Lord to the church of Christ (Acts 2:47). This person is now
a Christian, and is free to work and worship with any faithful
congregation of the Lord's church around the world.
May I attend the worship services and Bible classes of
the Media church of Christ even if I am not a member?
Of course! We welcome you to attend any of our worship services
and Bible studies. When you do come to visit us, we do not ask
you to accept what you hear just because we say so; we encourage
you to examine everything you hear and make certain that it is
taught in the Bible (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21).
